SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 375th Medical Group, as part of the St. Clair County H1N1 Pandemic Emergency Response Team, was recently recognized for their services in response to the H1N1 pandemic.
The team was awarded the 2010 Illinois Department of Public Health Director's Recognition Award for exemplary services provided in response to the H1N1 Pandemic at the Illinois Emergency Preparedness Summit June 16.
Maj. Derec Hudson, 375th MDG Public Health Flight commander, served as the primary member of Scott AFB's team along with Col. Dianne Ritter, former 375th MDG Commander; Lt. Col. Kathleen Jones, former 375th MDG Chief of Aerospace Medicine; and Lt. Col. Robert Kent, 375th MDG Chief of Aerospace Medicine.
Base medical and public health personnel worked with 10 off-base agencies throughout the county to prepare for and mitigate the impact of the H1N1 influenza outbreak.
"The agency representatives consistently met to share information, plan, coordinate, and respond to the H1N1 threat," said Major Hudson. "Actions such as epidemiological analysis, community public educational forums, vaccination lines, public news releases, strategic national stockpile vaccine and medication requests and distribution were all managed through the H1N1 Emergency Response Team. The result was an integrated civilian and military approach to counter a health threat to our entire local population."
After mobilizing, the team sustained operations for 11 months, fully integrating both traditional and non-traditional partners in a unified approach.
"An exceptional working relationship, such as the one we share with our St. Clair County Emergency Response and Public Health partners, is critical to effectively countering the monumental threat of the H1N1 pandemic that we faced in 2009," said Major Hudson. "The partnership we share with our counterparts in St. Clair County is one of the best I have seen. As a result of the integrated approach of the St. Clair County H1N1 Emergency Response Team, all involved agencies are now much better prepared to respond to a public health emergency."
The members of the H1N1 Pandemic Emergency Response Team are:
- St. Clair County Health Department
- East Side Health District
- Memorial Hospital
- St. Elizabeth's Hospital
- Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation
- Scott Air Force Base (Medical and Public Health Personnel)
- Regional Office of Education
- St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency
- St. Clair County 911 CenCom
- St. Clair County Emergency Services Association
- Metro East Emergency Response Taskforce